YREKA – A Tulelake man charged with attempted murder for slashing his stepfather’s throat last July accepted a plea deal from the Siskiyou County District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday.

In exchange for his guilty plea, Vallejo Josue Arias, 26, was offered a 10-year prison sentence, said Siskiyou County District Attorney Kirk Andrus.

Arias was on Post Release Community Supervision at the time of the attack, said Andrus.

Under the California Three Strikes Law, the attempted murder charge is a strike offense, and Arias has a previous felony strike. Therefore, he was sentenced to five years for the attempted murder charge and an additional five years for the previous strike offense, Andrus explained.

He also noted that when Arias is released from custody, if he is convicted of another serious or violent felony, he will have three strikes and will receive a minimum sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

According to Tulelake Police Department Chief Tony Ross, the assault occurred at a residence on Fifth Street in Tulelake during the evening on July 22, 2012.

Ross said an officer spotted Arias running down the street, covered with blood.

When the officer approached Arias, he said Arias was screaming that he had killed his stepfather.

The officer made contact with the victim at the nearby residence, and the victim’s throat had been slashed.

According to the police report, Arias tried to slash the victim’s throat with a kitchen knife several times. The blade broke, and the victim fought the suspect off when Arias attempted to locate another knife.

The victim was treated for his injuries and he made a full recovery.

Arias’ sentencing is scheduled for April 2 in the Siskiyou County Superior Court.